Driven steering wheel assembly for coal loaders



A. L. LEE

June 17, 195.2

DRIVEN STEERING WHEEL ASSEMBLY woRicqgL LOADERS I Original Filed Dec. 5, 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 ll IIIIIIIL.

llll L 1N VEN Toe,- Aia-r-Hula L. LEE, BY

June 17, 1952 A. L. LEE

DRIVEN STEERING WHEEL ASSEMBLY FOR CO'AL LOADERS Original Filed D80. 5, 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 9 m a 0 mm IIIU rm 4 .ii llll l a |Hu HI I/JFM 3 a wm (r... Jr mm mus. A .l-l. 3 mm 6 n I 9; mm mm rF on 5 MN W M E v .m

June 17, 1952 A. L. LEE 2,600,663

DRIVEN STEERING WHEEL ASSEMBLY FOR COAL LOADERS June 17, 1952 LEE 2,600,663

DRIVEN STEERING WHEEL ASSEMBLY FOR LOADERS Original Filed Dec. 5, 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 [NVENTOE J ARTHUR L.. LEE,

Patented June 17, 1952 UNITED DRIVEN STEERING WHEEL ASSEMBLY FOR COAL LOADERS Arthur L. Lee, Upper Arlington, Ohio, assignor to The Jeffrey Manufacturing Company, a corporation of Ohio Original application December 3, 1947, Serial No.

3 Claims. 1

This invention relates toa loading machine and traction wheel assembly therefor and one object of the invention is to provide an improved loading machine including an improved traction wheel assembly.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved loading machine in which a traction wheel assembly for carrying the main frame of the loading machine is mounted thereto for rectilinear movement along a generally upright axis and the traction wheel assembly includes a driving mechanism preferably, but not necessarily, positioned at one side and within the radial confines of the wheel thereof for driving it which driving mechanism follows the movements of the wheel along the upright axis, and preferably, but not necessarily, to provide a motor means for moving the traction wheel assembly along the upright axis.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved loading machine in which a traction wheel assembly for carrying the main frame of the loading machine is mounted thereto for both rectilinear and rotary swinging movements along and about a generally upright axis and the traction wheel assembly includes a driving mechanism preferably, but not necessarily, positioned at one side and within the radial confines of the wheel thereof for driving it whichdriving mechanism follows the movements of the wheel along and about the upright axis.

In carrying out the foregoing objects it is another object of the invention to provide a motor means for moving the wheel assembly along the upright axis which motor means when operated simultaneously withthe wheel driving mechanism causes the traction wheel assembly to move rectilinearly along the upright axis while it is rotated therearound by the wheel.

Other objects of the invention will appear hereinafter, the novel features and combinations being set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a loading machine incorporating the features of my invention; 7 Fig.2 is an enlarged plan view showing particularly the mounting and driving mechanism for one of the traction wheels;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3--3 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 4 is a plan view showing particularly the locking and interconnecting mechanism for the two traction wheels, parts of the loader being removed; r Fig.5 is a sectional elevational view through Divided and this application February 5, 1949, Serial No. 74,751

the loader near the traction wheels, with parts omitted and other parts broken away;

Fig. 6 is a sectional elevational view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Fig. 7 is a sectional elevational view through the loader showing one of the wheels and mounting. means in section, with the other in elevation, of a modified form of loader.

This application is a division of my application Serial No. 789,382, filed December 3, 1947, entitled Underground Loading Machine, which is a continuation in part of my application Serial No. 530,361, filed April 10, 1944, entitled Loading Machine, now Patent No. 2,589,827, dated March 18, 1952, and my application Serial No. 755,162, filed June 17, 1947, and since abandoned, entitled Underground Loading Machine.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1, 4 and 5 of the drawings, the loading machine in its general arrangement of parts will be only briefly described, since they are described and disclosed in full detail in my application Serial No. 530,361, (Patent No. 2,589,827) above identified. Said loading machine includes a main frame I0 which is formed by a pair of laterally spaced longitudinally extending generally horizontal upright frame plates I I, l l interconnected by a large number of cross members including two cross plates l2 and I3 (see Fig. 5). frame [0 includes a trough i4.

Adjacent the front of the loading machine there is a gathering head l5 provided with a pair of laterally spaced gathering conveyers i6 and I! which are adapted to gather material as the head [5 is forced into said material and to convey it rearwardly over the bottom plate of said gathering head l5, delivering it to the front end of a sliding trough [8 which overlaps the trough I4, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 5 of thedrawings. The gathering head I5 is carried by an elongated telescoping boom [9 (see Fig. 5) which telescopes into the lower portion of the main frame I0 and is supported for reciprocatory motion relative thereto. Forward and rearward feeding movement of the gathering head [5 relative to the main frame [0 is effected by feeding means disclosed in detail in my above identified application, Serial No. 530,361 (Patent No. 2,589,827).

Extending through the overlapping troughs l4 and I8 and between a discharge foot shaft 20 on the former and a driving shaft for the gathering conveyers l6 and I! on the latter is an endless chain and flight conveyer 2| which isreeved about guide pulleys, as disclosed in detail The upper portion of the main in my application Serial No. 530,361 (Patent No. 2,398,827) in a manner to provide for feeding rectilinear forward and rearward motion of the head section I while the main frame In is held against rectilinear or longitudinal movement, with the discharge of right-hand end thereof anchored against rectilinear movement while the loader is free to swing about said up right anchorage axis to efieet positioning of the head l5 for gathering operations. Anchor ing means of any desired form may be used, such as that disclosed in my application Ser. No. 530,361 (Patent No. 2,589,827)

The disclosed loader is a unitary machine and is entirely self-propelling, that'is, it is selftransporting and it may be run about a mine to any desired location. To provide for this there is a pair of steering wheels 22 which support the rear end of the loader while it is bein transported, said wheels being elevatable so as to lift 'them off the ground when the loader is anchored, as above mentioned, for loading coal. The detailed structure of said wheels 22 is disclosed in my application Serial No. 530,361. (Patent No. 2,589,827).

Near the front end of the loader there is a pair of traction Wheel assemblies 23 and '24 which are of generally similar construction. These traction wheel assemblies 23 and 24 provide the traction means for the loader when it is being run under its own power from one place to another in a mine room, during which the wheels are substantially parallel as illustrated in full lines in Fig. l of the drawings. Their construction is such that the wheels may be swung simultaneously inwardly to a generally tandem position, as illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. l of the drawings, whereupon they may be operated to swing the complete loader in an arc, the center of which is the upright pivotal axis adjacent the rear end above mentioned.

Since the wheel assemblies 23 and 24 are of similar construction, a description of one will sufilce for both and similar reference charac ters will be used to designate similar integral parts of each. Each of said traction wheel assemblies 23 and 24 includes a split rim wheel 25 carrying a pneumatic tire 26. Wheel 25 has a hub 21 provided with a drive sprocket 28 and for practical purposes the wheel 25 andtire 26 may be considered within the generic expression ,wheelf particularly as employedin the claims. Hub 21 is journaled on a stub axle 29 which is removably but rigidly attached to a bracket 30 which includes a heavy cylinder 3| welded thereto. The internal surface of the cylinder 3| is preferably smooth and provides a bearing surface to receive the external smooth bearing surface of a telescoping cylinder 32, said telescoping cylinder 32 having a rigidly but removably connected head 33, which head 33 carries an internal cylinder 34 whichis inside but spaced from the cylinder 32. Adjacent its inner wall the cylinder 32 is rigidly attached to and may be considered a part of a bracket 35, the bracket 35 being attached at its top and bottom to side plates ll of the main frame ID. The sprocket 28 is driven from hydraulic motor 36 through a speed reducer 37 and chain and sprocket drive mechanism 38.

As clearly illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings, the motor 36 and thespeed reducer 31 are removably bolted and thus rigidly but removably attached to the bracket 36 at one side of the cylinder 3| thereof. The 'motor 36 and speed reducer 3! lie at one side of the wheel 2526 and between it and the side plate H of the main frame ll] of the loader and they lie substantially within the radical confines of the wheel 25-25, that is, the motor 36 and speed reducer 3'! lie at one side of the wheel 25--26 and within a cylindrical area of the same diameter as the tire 26 and. the term substantially within the radial confines of the traction wheel or its equivalent, as employed in the claims, is to be construed as meaning a driving mechanism which lies for the most part within said cylindrical area. It is thus evident that the motor 36 and speed reducer 31 of each traction wheel assembly 23 and 24 partake of all movements of the axle 29 thereof and as hereinafter described each of the traction wheel assemblies 23 and 24 is both vertically adjustable and rotatably swingable about a vertical axis simultaneously, the vertical adjustment providing for adjusting the elevation of the forward end of the loading machine and the rotary adjustment of the traction wheel assemblies providing for swinging the traction Wheels to tandem positions, as indicated at Fig. 1 of the drawings, in which position they swing the entire loader about the aforementioned anchorage axis adjacent its rear or discharge end.

From the above description it is evident that the outer cylinder 3| is directly connected to the stub axle 29 and that the inner cyclinder 32 is directly connected to the main frame It. The telescoping relation between the two together with their close fit provides for up and down movement of the wheel 25, 26 on an upright axis and also provides for swinging movement of the wheel 25, 26 on said upright axis. The load is transferred from the main frame l5 through the bracket 35 and cylinder 32 to the outer cylinder 3| of stub axle 29 and 'wheel 25, 26 through a heavy compressible helical spring 39 and through an expanslble single acting hydraulic jack or reciprocating motor including the inner cylinder 34 and a cylinder type piston assembly 45 as-' sociated therewith, as hereinafter described.

At its lower end the cylinder 3| is provided with a head 4| carrying an upstanding post 42 along its upright central axis, upon which post is a bearing plate 43 mounted upon a thrust bearing 44 which transfers the load of the hear ing plate 43 to the head 4| and thence to the cylinder 3|. The bottom of the heavy compres= sion spring 39 rests on the bearing plate 43 and the head supports a ring 45 which is rigidly attached to the cylinder head 33 and to the two cylinders 32 and 34, said ring 45 acting a'sa spacer for said two cylinders 32 and 34 and providing a space betwee gthem within which the compression spring 39*"c'an operate. Said compression spring 39 assists in transferring part of the weight or load of main frame I0 to axle 29 and wheels 25,25. 7

The principal load, however, between the main frame l6 and the wheels 25, '26 is carried through the hydraulic motor including thecylinder 34 and the piston assembly 46. To this end the piston assembly 40 includes a telescoping c'ylinder 46, the external surface of which has a close fit with the internal surface of cylinder 34 and-being free to reciprocate therein, being provided with a fluid type leather or composition sealing head 41 so as to cause an expansion "of the reciprocating hydraulic jack upon the delivery of hydraulic'fiuid to the interior of cylinder 34 through a feed conduit 48 in the head 33. In other words, the main frame I can be elevated or lowered with respect to the wheels 25, 26 by feeding hydraulic fluid under pressure to the interior of cylinder 34 or allowing it to escape therefrom. Control means for the expansible jacks of the wheel assemblies 23, 24 is disclosed in detail in my application Serial No. 530,361 (Patent No. 2,589,827).

-Within the cylinder 46 is a relatively weak helical spring 49 which at its top bears against the head 41 of piston assembly 49 and which at its bottom bears against the bearing plate 43. This insures there being an upward pressure against the piston assembly 40 even if a wheel 25, 26 should dropinto a hole so as to move the bearing plate 43 out of contact with the bottom of cylinder 46, as these two are not rigidly attached together but merely have bearing contact under normal conditions. In other words,

the load is actually transferred in part through the compression spring 39 and in part and to a normally greater extent through the cylinder 46 and the bearing plate 43.

As best illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings, the two wheel assemblies 23 and 24 are adapted to be swung approximately ninety degrees (90) inwardly or toward each other from their parallel positions, and to this end the two cylinders 3| of the two assemblies 23 and 24 are interconnected by means of integral arms 50 (see Figs. 4 and 5) on said cylinders 3| which are pivotally connected together through transversely and oppositely extending pivot links 5|, 52 connected to wheel assemblies 23 and 24, respectively, which links 5| and 52 have their inner ends pivotally connected to pins 53 and 54, respectively, carried between a pair of upper and lower circular discs 55 which are pivoted at their aligned centers to a pivot pin 56 which extends between and is carried by the previously mentioned cross plates I2 and I3. Releasable locking mechanism designated generally at 51 is provided in association wtih the rotatable discs 55 operable to latch the wheel assemblies 23 and 24 either in their parallel or substantially tandem positions, all as disclosed in full detail in my application Serial No. 530,361, (Patent No. 2,589,827).

The traction wheel assemblies 23, 24 may be swung from their parallel positions to their tandem positions and vice versa, merely by releasing the locking mechanism 5'! and driving the wheels 25, 26 by means of their driving mechanisms including motors 36 and speed reducers 31 to travel in the directions in which it is desired to rotate the traction wheel assemblies about their mounting axes. Because the mounting axis of each traction wheel assembly 23, 24 is generally upright and is spaced or positioned at one side of the wheel 25, 26 when the wheel 25, 26 is driven, the entire traction wheel assembly 23, 24 rotates about the upright axis and thus the wheel driving motors 36 may alone be relied upon to swing the interconnected traction wheel assemblies from their parallel to thei tandem positions or they may aid or cooperate with another motor in swinging the traction wheels as disclosed in the application of Sterling C. Moon, Serial No. 607,927, filed July 31, 1945, and since abandoned, entitled Loading Machine.

Since the links 5| and 52 necessarily move up and down with the main frame I0, it is evident that they must likewise move up and down with respect to the outer cylinder 3|. To provide for this there is a slidin connection be- 6 tween the outer end of each link 5| and 52 and the arms 50 provided by an elongated pin 53 which extends between upper and lower arms 50, as illustrated in detail in Fig. 5 of the drawings.

In Fig. 7 of the drawings I have illustrated a modified form of mechanism involving a -pair of traction wheel assemblies for supporting the main frame from the traction wheels. As here illustrated, there is a slightly different form of main frame designated IID supported from a pair of wheel assemblies I23 and I24, it bein understood that the wheel assemblies I23 and I24 correspond in general to the wheel assemblies 23 and 24 above described. Wheel assemblies I23 and I24 are of similar construction. Each includes a stub axle I29 which supports an individually power driven traction wheel I25 including a pneumatic tire I26 in a manner similar to that in which wheel 25, 25 is driven as above described.

Stub axle I29 is carried on a bracket I30 attached to a cylinder |3I and in effect forming a part thereof, the top of which is provided with a bronze bushing or bearing 60 which slides on the cylindrical inner surface of a relatively short cylinder I32 having an integral head and attached to and in effect forming a part of a bracket I35 which in turn is attached to the main frame H0. The lower portion of the cylinder I3I has its outer surface machined and it slides in a bronze bushing 6| carried in a lower bracket 62 rigidly attached to the bottom of the main frame III}. Cylinder I3I is thus guided for rectilinear up and down movement along its verticalor upright axis with respect to the cylinder I32, and it is also free to swing about said axis. A portion of the load of the main frame III) is transferred to a wheel assembly I23, I24 through a heavy helical spring I39, the upper end of which presses on a removable ring I33 attached to the interior of the integral head of cylinder I32, the lower end of said spring I39 resting on a bearing plate I43 which is mounted for free rotation on a complementary bearing plate |4I which in turn rests on the bottom integral head of the cylinder I3I. Thus a portion of the load of the main framev I I0 is transferred to a wheel I25, I26 through the compression spring I39.

Vertical adjustment of the wheel I25, I26 relative to the main frame III) is effected through a reciprocating hydraulic cylindrical jack or motor generally similar to that above described but differing in one particular, as hereinafter pointed out. Said hydraulic jack or motor includes a cylinder I34 which is concentric with the cy1inder I3I and spaced therefrom, acting as a guide for the compression spring I39 and on its inner surface cooperating with a similar type piston assembly I40 including a cylinder I46 having close sliding relation with the cylinder I34 and provided with a wiping fluid tight sealed head I41.

Unlike the somewhat similar cylinder 46, cylinder I46 does not normally contact the associated bearing plate I43 but terminates substantially above it, and the load is transferred from the piston assembly I 40 to the bearing plate I43 through a floating compression rod 63 which has semi-cylindrical upper and lower ends, the upper one of which abuts a bearin late of the piston assembly I40, the lower one of which abuts the upper concave surface of a central post I42 of bearing plate I43. A helical spring I49 also abuts the bearing plate of piston assembly I40 and extends over the post I42 and at its lower end abuts bearing plate M3 for a purpose similar to that performed by spring '49, as above described. Spring M9 also acts to hold the floatin g thrust rod 63 in proper position, keeping it in contact with its proper bearing surfaces. It has been found that this floating thrust rod '63 is particularly desirable to prevent any binding in the expansible hydraulic motor or jack arrangement of the wheel assemblies 23, I24.

The mechanism for swinging the wheels I25, I26 from their normally parallel positions to their substantially tandem positions differs from that above "described and is disclosed in detail and claimed in the application of S. 0. Moon, Serial No. 754,516, filed June 13, 1947, now Patent No. 2,591,584, dated April 1., 1952, but since this particular mechanism per se forms no part of the present invention it will not be described in detail. It is sufi'icicnt to say that the mechanism provides for the swinging adjustment of the two wheel assemblies I23 and I24 about the upright axes of their hydraulic motor assemblies o'r, in other words, about axes parallel with the axes of the concentric cylinders, such as cylinder I34 of each assembly.

While other details of the loader which is illustrated in Fig. 7 differ somewhat from that above described, they are not of particular significance in connection with the invention herein disclosed and claimed and consequently need no specific description. It may be stated, however, that these details are disclosed in the Moon application Serial -No. 754,516 (Patent No. 2,591,584), above identified.

Obviously those skilled in the art may make various changes in the details and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the claims hereto appended, and applicant wishes therefore not to berestricted to the precise construcnon herein disclosed.

Having thus described and shown an embodiment of the invention, what it is desired to-secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1'. A loader including a main frame, traction wheel assembly means 'for supporting said frame including a wheelreceiving axle, a traction wheel having a chain receiving sprocket associated therewith for driving it carried by said axle, a cylinder attached to said axle having a generally upright axis extending at one side of said traction wheel and sprocket, hydraulic motor and "speed reducer means including a drive sprocket carried by said cylinder at one side thereof and at one side of and substantially within the radial confines of said traction wheel, chain means interconnecting said sprockets for driving said traction wheel from said hydraulic motor and speed reducer means, bracket means connecting said "cylinder and main frame including a cylinder having its axis common with the axis of said first named cylinder and carrying the latter --for simultaneous rectilinear movement and rotary swinging movement along and about said generally upright axis, and hydraulic piston motor means within said cylinders for adjusting said traction wheel assembly along said upright axis 8 relative to said second named cylinder, said traction wheel being drivable at least to aid in swinging said traction wheel assembly about said upright axis.

2. A traction wheel assembly adapted to support the main frame of a vehicle including a wheel receiving axle, a traction wheel having a chain receiving sprocket associated therewith for driving it on said axle, a cylinder attached to said axle having a generally upright axis extending at one side of said traction wheel and sprocket, said cylinder being adapted to be received by a bracket means on said main frame for both rectilinearmovement and rotary-swinging movement along and about said upright axis, hydraulic motor and speed reducer means including a chain receiving drive sprocket carried by said cylinder at one side thereof and at one side of and substantially within the radial confines of said traction wheel, and chain means interconnecting said sprockets for driving said traction wheel from said hydraulic motor and speed reducing means.

3. A traction wheel assembly adapted to support the main frame of a vehicle including a wheel receiving axle, a traction wheel having a chain receiving sprocket associated therewith for driving it on said axle, bracket means attached to said axle having a generally upright axis ex-' tending at one side of said traction wheel "and sprocket, said bracket means being adapted to be received by a second bracket means on said main frame for both rectilinear movement and rotary swinging movement along and about said upright axis, hydraulic motor and speed reducer means including a chain receiving drive spro'cket carried by said first named bracket means at one side thereof and at one side of and substantially within the radial confiines of said traction wheel, and chain means interconnecting said sprockets for driving said traction wheel from "said hydraulic motor and speed reducing means.

ARTHUR L. LEE.

C ES CITED The following references are of record in. the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 672,713 Sa'nchis Apr. 23, 1901 I 866,fl10 Walker Sept. 17, 1907 1,080,447 Hoadley Dec. 2, 1913 1,828,905 Mossay Oct. 27, 1931 2,173,339 Myers se t. '19, 1939 2,220,254 Maier Nov. '5, 1940 2,430,523 Moon Nov. 11, 1947 2,441,054 Ardussi et al. May 4, 1948 2,488,520 Beck Nov. 22, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 311,084 Great Britain May 9, 1929 553,009 France 1;. Feb. 1, 1923 839,771 France 1 1 Jan. 7,1939 

